1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety device, and more particularly to a captive cover for a hypodermic needle of an intravenous (IV) tube assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Since some patients cannot ingest nutrients or medicine orally, nutrients or medicine must be administered intravenously from an IV solution container. A conventional IV solution container must have an IV tube assembly to connect the IV solution container to a patient.
The IV tube assembly comprises a container needle, an upper IV tube, a lower IV tube, an injection joint, a flow control apparatus and a hypodermic needle. The upper IV tube and the lower IV tube respectively have upper ends and lower ends. The container needle is connected to the upper end of the upper IV tube and is inserted into the IV solution container. The injection joint comprises an intermediate container and a lid. The intermediate container has a bottom, an open top and a discharge outlet. The discharge outlet is formed on the bottom of the intermediate container and is connected to the upper end of the lower IV tube. The lid is mounted securely on the open top of the intermediate container. The lower end of the upper IV tube is connected to the lid. The flow control apparatus is mounted around the lower IV tube to control how quickly an IV solution is administered to a patient. The hypodermic needle is connected to the lower end of the lower IV tube and is inserted into a patient's vein so the IV solution can be administered to a patient.
A conventional hypodermic needle has a cover to protect the hypodermic needle. The cover is removed when the IV is administered to a patient and replaced on the hypodermic needle when the administration of an IV solution to the patient is complete. However, two problems exist with the small conventional cover. First, the cover is easily lost between the time it is removed from the needle and the time it needs to be replaced on the needle. This makes the contaminated IV hypodermic needle a personnel hazard during the disposal process. Second, the cover is small, and medical personnel are subject to puncture injuries from the contaminated needle during the process of replacing the cover over the hypodermic needle.
With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a captive cover (40) disclosed in Taiwan Patient No. 90221792 obviates the problem with loosing the cover, is formed integrally with and extends from a flow control apparatus (not numbered) and comprises a chamber (44) and an annular rib (45). The chamber (44) has a closed distal end (not numbered) and an open proximal end (not numbered). The annular rib (45) extends radially inward from the open proximal end of the chamber (44). A hypodermic needle (7A) of an IV tube assembly has multiple resilient locking tabs (71A) formed around the hypodermic needle (7A) of the IV tube assembly. The hypodermic needle (7A) can be pushed into the chamber (44) of the captive cover (40), which compresses the resilient locking tabs (71A) until the locking tabs (71A) pass the annular rib (45) that securely holds the hypodermic needle (7A) in the chamber (44) of the captive cover (40). The captive cover (40) can prevent personnel injuries from the contaminated hypodermic needle (7A) during the disposal process.
However, the hypodermic needle (7A) must be compatible with the conventional captive cover (40) to provide the safety effect. The conventional captive cover (40) is not compatible with ordinary hypodermic needles for the IV tube assembly. Modification of conventional hypodermic needles to obtain hypodermic needles (7A) compatible with the captive cover (40) will increase the cost of the manufacturing. Furthermore, a significant amount of pressure is required to push the locking tab (71A) of the hypodermic needle (7A) through the annular rib (45) of the conventional captive cover (40). Since the conventional captive cover (40) is suspended in the air with the IV tube assembly, pressing the hypodermic needle (7A) into the captive cover (40) that will shake and possibly dislodge the entire IV tube assembly.